The marine exploration company Ocean Infinity has resumed the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared in 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. This was announced on Tuesday by Malaysia’s Minister of Transport, Anthony Loke, who highlighted the company’s initiative without specifying the exact date the operation began.
According to Loke, the Malaysian government approved Ocean Infinity’s proposal in December to explore a new 15,000-square-kilometer area in the southern Indian Ocean, where the aircraft is believed to be located. “This operation represents a significant commitment to solving one of the most striking mysteries in modern aviation,” he stated, without providing further details on the mission’s duration.
Flight MH370, a Boeing 777, took off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, carrying 239 people, including 153 Chinese nationals. About an hour after departure, the aircraft disappeared from radar following an unexpected course change. Despite one of the most extensive and costly searches in aviation history, only three confirmed debris fragments have been found in the western Indian Ocean, which has not been enough to determine the exact cause of the incident.
The final report from Malaysian authorities indicated that the aircraft suffered an intentional course deviation, but it did not identify the responsible party or their motives. This has led to multiple theories about what happened, none of which have been fully proven.
With Ocean Infinity resuming the search, “hopes of finding the plane and uncovering the mystery are once again gaining momentum.” The company will use advanced technology to scan the Indian Ocean, in an effort to resolve one of the greatest aviation enigmas in modern history.
1. Hypoxia and Mechanical Failure
One of the most widely accepted theories suggests that a cabin depressurization left the crew and passengers unconscious. In this scenario, the aircraft would have continued flying on autopilot until it ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean.
Reports released before the accident, up until March 2022, indicated that the aircraft had experienced pressurization system failures eight months before it disappeared. It was also documented that, just before changing course, the pilot activated a holding pattern and deployed the flaps, suggesting an attempted emergency landing before losing consciousness.
2. Pilot Intervention (Deliberate Crash)
Some investigations have pointed to Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53 years old, as possibly responsible for deliberately crashing the plane. The theory suggests that he may have disabled communication systems and depressurized the cabin, causing hypoxia and the death of passengers and crew before diverting the aircraft to a remote area of the Indian Ocean.
However, the official report found no significant changes in his behavior or emotional state that would indicate a suicidal intent. Additionally, First Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27 years old, who was on his first unsupervised mission on a Boeing 777, showed no signs of stress or conflict to support this hypothesis.
3. Hijacking
The possibility of a hijacking by passengers or crew was investigated. Two Iranian passengers were traveling with stolen passports, but authorities concluded that they were simply trying to illegally migrate to the West, with no hostile intentions.
Past incidents, such as the September 11, 2001, attacks, have raised concerns about the possibility of a passenger or crew member taking control of the aircraft. However, security screenings at Kuala Lumpur International Airport detected no unusual risks before takeoff.
4. Remote Intervention
Speculation exists that the aircraft might have been remotely controlled via a security system designed to prevent hijackings. In 2003, Boeing patented a technology that would allow an aircraft to be controlled remotely and directed to safety in an emergency.
However, the company has stated that this technology was never implemented in its commercial aircraft. “The Boeing 777-200ER operating Flight MH370 did not have this system,” investigators confirmed, dismissing the possibility of remote intervention.
5. Explosion or Catastrophic Failure
Another theory suggests that the plane might have suffered an in-flight explosion or a severe structural failure. However, the debris found shows no signs of explosion damage, which has weakened this hypothesis.
